Learning to Live Again
by Marione
Summary: Side-story to "What The Future May Hold". Remus LupinOFC. Remus is rebuilding his own life after the war... Elizabeth is healing after a horrible tragedy. In the end, they will teach each other how to live again.
1. Prologue The Man Behind the Werewolf

Author's Note: This is a side-story of "What The Future May Hold". That story would not be complete without telling the love story of Remus and Elizabeth. For those who may not have read the previous story, I urge you to do so. Though, I'm going to try to write this story so it can "stand alone" if you haven't read WTFMH.  
  
All questions, comments, and constructive criticism are welcome if you would like to leave a review. Enjoy!  
  
Disclaimer: Harry Potter and the characters from the series are copyright JK Rowling, and are not being used for profit, only for personal enjoyment.  
  
*****  
  
Prologue: The Man Behind the Werewolf  
  
Remus Lupin sat alone in his quarters at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, staring into the fire as he sipped a glass of red wine. He had just resumed the position of the Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher... a position that he had vacated more than four years ago, after it had been discovered that he was a werewolf. Albus Dumbledore had wanted him to stay on back then, but Remus didn't want to face the fearful students whose parents were sure to object to his teaching their children.  
  
He took comfort in the fact that he was fortunate to have had many friends in his lifetime who had accepted him despite the monster he became once a month. He had lost the closest of his friends to Voldemort... James Potter and his wife Lily nearly two decades ago, and more recently, Sirius Black. Perhaps Sirius' death had hurt even more, as it was the second time that Remus had lost him. Very different circumstances, this time... Sirius died trying to save his godson, proving once and for all that he had not been a traitor or a murderer. Only now, more than two years later, had there been any closure on that chapter of his life. With the capture of Peter Pettigrew after the Final Battle, Sirius had finally been cleared of all charges. But what did that matter now that he was gone?  
  
For all of the good friends he had been blessed with, he had never allowed himself to fall in love. Yes, he had fancied a few women in his lifetime, but none of them wanted to stick around once they discovered what he was. Furthermore, he had convinced himself that it would be unfair to saddle any woman with his burden, even if he had been fortunate enough to find one who would overlook his condition. No, he could not let himself fall in love... one or the other of them would get hurt in the end. And if there was one thing Remus Lupin could not bear, it was to cause anybody pain.  
  
As he stared into the fire, Remus did not allow himself mourn the friends that he had lost... rather, he smiled at his good fortune as he thought about the good friends he still had. Albus Dumbledore, the Hogwarts staff, the members of the Order, the Weasley family, and Harry, Ron and Hermione. They had all been able to overlook his condition, and accept him as who he really was. He had even made peace with Severus Snape, though they weren't quite ready to call each other "friend" just yet.  
  
He laughed at the irony of it... Snape was the one who had "accidentally" let it slip that he was a werewolf, all those years ago... and now, Snape had been the one to convince Dumbledore that Remus was the best candidate for the teaching position that needed filled. It was the first step in calling a truce, once an for all. Even so, Remus had been reluctant to accept the position. The year that he had spent teaching had been the one of the best years of his adult life, and he was eager to do it all over again... yet, he wasn't ready to face many of the same students who had once feared what he was. He couldn't help but be reluctant, even though he was no longer ostracized by society.  
  
Again, the irony struck him... once feared as a monster, he was now hailed as a war hero. The same community that had shunned him for most of his life had finally come to accept him as the man he had always been, rather than the dangerous creature they had previously thought him to be.   
  
In the end, it was due to the need to prove himself... not to society, but to himself... that he was more than a werewolf, that he finally let Albus coerce him into returning to teaching. So now, here he was, back in the place that held so many memories. He only hoped that he could create new memories that would one day be as precious as the old ones. 


	2. The Good News

Author's Note: Thank you to all of my readers! All questions, comments, and constructive criticism are welcome if you would like to leave a review.  
  
Enjoy!  
  
Disclaimer: Harry Potter and the characters from the series are copyright JK Rowling, and are not being used for profit, only for personal enjoyment.  
  
*****  
  
Chapter 1: The Good News  
  
Remus Lupin could barely contain the giddy smile that had spread across his face as he walked down the streets of London. He had witnessed a miracle two nights ago, and was off to visit the grandmother of the child who he had helped to bring into the world.  
  
Remus was only one of the many people in the wizarding world who knew and loved Hermione Granger, and had been sick with worry not knowing where she had gone this past summer. She had disappeared after graduation without a word to anyone. What nobody else knew now was that Remus found her... alone, scared, and pregnant. He normally felt a pang of guilt for not telling anybody her whereabouts, but today, all he felt was joy. Hermione had given birth to a beautiful son. He beamed with pride as he walked into the rehab facility where Hermione's mother, Elizabeth, was recovering from injuries sustained in the same automobile accident that had killed her husband earlier that year. He had come to know Elizabeth over the past couple of months, as he had accompanied Hermione on her visits into London.  
  
He approached the partially open door to her room and knocked gently as he eased it open, "Elizabeth?" he called quietly.  
  
Elizabeth had been standing against the wall, holding on to a hand rail as she made her way across the room. She had been temporarily paralyzed in the accident, and was just learning to walk again. By the looks of it, she had made much progress since the last time Remus saw her, not even two weeks ago.  
  
"Remus!" she smiled, "I'm surprised to see you! What brings you here today?" she asked as she eased herself back towards her bed. Just as she let go of the bar to take a seat, she stumbled.   
  
Remus reached out and caught her, looking at her in concern as he asked, "Are you OK?"  
  
Elizabeth flushed with embarassment, "Fine, Remus. I have to learn not to push myself so hard... but I just can't stand to sit around all day and let people wait on me hand and foot! I need to learn to do it all on my own if I ever want to get out of here!"  
  
He helped her onto the bed and cleared his throat as he took a seat for himself, "I come bearing news, Elizabeth..."  
  
Elizabeth gasped, "The baby?"  
  
Remus nodded.  
  
"When? He's early! Is he healthy?" she looked at him, her eyes wide with concern as she rasped, "Hermione... how is she?"  
  
He reached out and grasped her hand as he smiled reassuringly, "They are both fine, Elizabeth! You have a healthy grandson... his name is Samuel."  
  
Tears came to Elizabeth's eyes as she whispered, "After her father..." Remus nodded and felt her squeeze his hand in return, "Samuel....?" she raised her eyebrow in question. What was the child's full name?  
  
Color rushed to Remus' face, but he couldn't contain his smile as he replied, "Samuel Remus Granger."  
  
Elizabeth beamed as she leaned forward and embraced Remus, "You mean so much to her, Remus. It's only appropriate that she name her son after the two most important men in her life."  
  
Remus patted her on the back and cleared his throat as he asked, "It looks as though you're making progress! The last I saw you, you had only taken a few steps here and there."  
  
She chuckled, "I meant it when I told Hermione... I will not take my grandson for a walk in the park in a wheelchair!"  
  
Remus shook his head as he sighed, "Now I see where Hermione gets it from," he laughed. Hermione was stubborn and determined, just like her mother.  
  
"Remus... when I get out of here, will you take me to see them?" she asked with tears in her eyes. It was obviously painful for her to not be able to go to them immediately.  
  
"It would be my pleasure!" he smiled gently at her.  
  
*****  
  
The following weekend, Remus made another journey to London to visit Elizabeth. They smiled as he shared the first photos of her newborn grandson with her.  
  
"Remus!" she gasped with tears in her eyes, "He's beautiful!"  
  
He beamed back at her, "That, he is. Just like his mother... and his grandmother," he added softly.  
  
Elizabeth blushed, "He doesn't look at all like a Granger," she noted.  
  
Remus shifted uncomfortably in his seat. He knew who Samuel's father was, but it wasn't his place to say. It would be up to Hermione to have that discussion with her mother.  
  
"Tell me, Elizabeth, how have you been doing?" he changed the subject.  
  
She smiled at him in satisfaction, "Better every day, Remus! I might even be able to go home for Christmas!" Her smile turned to one of sadness, as she thought about going home for the first time. As anxious as she was to go home, she wasn't looking forward to being there alone... especially right before the holiday. Without her husband and daughter, she would be haunted by memories of happier times.  
  
Remus reached out and grabbed her hand, "Let me know if you need anything..."  
  
Elizabeth nodded tearfully before smiling again, "There is one thing I would like to ask of you, Remus... if I do get out of here before Christmas, I'd like to go visit Hermione and meet my grandson over the holiday!"  
  
Remus smiled brilliantly at her, "An excellent idea, Elizabeth! I can't think of a better Christmas gift for Hermione. She misses you tremendously."  
  
When Remus rose to leave a short while later, he nodded to Elizabeth and said, "I will be in touch later in the week to discuss arrangements for Christmas. Even if you aren't ready to go home by then, I'm sure we could manage to get you out of here for a day or two."  
  
Elizabeth stood up to give him a hug, "Thank you, Remus," she whispered in a hoarse voice, reaching out to grab his hand as he pulled away.  
  
"Not at all!" he smiled back at her before he turned to leave.  
  
He couldn't keep his mind off of her as he ventured home that afternoon... and he couldn't wait to surprise Hermione for Christmas. 


	3. The Christmas Surprise

Author's Note: Sorry this has been a long time in coming. I hope to update a bit more regularly... I need to try to catch Remus and Elizabeth up to the events in "For All the Days to Come", so the stories can run parallel.  
  
Disclaimer: Harry Potter and the characters and settings from the books in the series are the property of JK Rowling. They are not being used for profit, only for personal enjoyment.  
  
*****  
  
Chapter 2 ~ The Christmas Surprise  
  
Elizabeth was pushing herself harder than ever. She was determined to get out of rehab and back into her own home... and to do it by Christmas. She had a new member of the family to meet, and she wanted to do it on her own terms. She wanted the luxury of visiting with her daughter and grandson without having to worry about returning to rehab afterwards. She pushed herself through the pain of every step by picturing her grandson in her mind. By the weekend before Christmas, she was nearly walking independantly. She needed to use a cane or lean on somebody to keep herself steady, but otherwise, she was making her way around quite nicely.  
  
By the next time Remus visited, she surprised him by walking to the door to greet him. A huge grin split his face as he opened his arms to her, embracing her fondly as he praised her, "How wonderful, Elizabeth! I'm so happy to see the progress you have made. Hermione will be pleased, I'm sure."  
  
Elizabeth beamed as she allowed him to assist her back across the room, "I can go home tomorrow, Remus! I will be continuing therapy at home, Remus... but I'm going home!"  
  
Remus took the seat across from her, "Does that mean you're all set to visit your daughter and grandson for the holiday?"  
  
Elizabeth chuckled, "Am I ready? Remus... I've been ready to meet my grandson for two weeks now! I don't care how I get there, but I'm going!"  
  
"Of course you are," he laughed, "And I'd be happy to take you there, myself!"  
  
They spent the rest of the afternoon making plans for Christmas morning. Elizabeth insisted that she wanted it to be a surprise for Hermione... she made Remus promise not to tell her daughter that she would be coming. He knew that he would have a hard time containing the secret, and could hardly wait to see Hermione's face when her mother walked into Hogwarts on Christmas day.  
  
*****  
  
Early Christmas morning, Remus informed the Headmaster of his plans. Next, he was off to find the Potions Master. He knocked on the door to Severus' private quarters, and was answered with a curt, "Enter!"  
  
"Good morning, Severus. Happy Christmas!" he smiled.  
  
"Lupin," Severus grunted, "What is it?"  
  
"I have... an errand to run this morning. I have to pick up... Hermione's gift," he met Severus' eye and stressed his next words, "In LONDON."  
  
Severus shot him a curious glance before comprehension dawned in his eyes. His mask softened slightly as he replied, "I see."  
  
"I hoped that you would," Remus replied, "Would you mind escorting Hermione and Samuel to the school alone today? I would really love to go with you, but...."  
  
"Very well, Lupin," Severus sighed, "I'm sure I can manage on my own."  
  
"Thank you, Severus," Remus smiled graciously, "Don't tell Hermione... it's to be a surprise."  
  
"I gathered as much," Severus smirked, "Very well. Good day, Lupin."  
  
*****  
  
Remus quickly made his way out of the school and across the grounds, where he apparated to Kings Cross in London. He had wanted to pick Elizabeth up at her home, but she had stubbornly insisted on taking a taxi and meeting him at the train station. He paced the area between platforms nine and ten as he waited for her. Just as he was beginning to grow concerned, he caught a glimpse of her slowly making her way towards him, leaning heavily on the walking stick that she was using for support.  
  
"Elizabeth!" he gasped as he hurried towards her, "You're overdoing it! I wish you would have let me come..."  
  
She laughed, "Nonsense, Remus! I need to learn to get by on my own!" She leaned in and pecked him on the cheek, "Merry Christmas!"  
  
Smiling at her, he replied, "Merry Christmas, Elizabeth. Are you all ready?"  
  
The excitement shone in her eyes as she nodded, "Definitely!"  
  
He assisted her with the trolley as they approached the barrier between platforms nine and ten. Looking around to make sure the coast was clear, he gently led her through the barrier and onto platform 9 3/4. She gasped in surprise when they emerged on the hidden platform. She knew that it was there, but had never been through the barrier herself. Her eyes wide, she turned to Remus and smiled in delight.  
  
Remus returned the smile, his eyes sparkling as he assisted her aboard. The train was nearly empty that morning, and they settled into a compartment of their own as the train pulled out of the station.  
  
It was a long ride, but they passed the time with pleasant conversation. Remus told Elizabeth everything that she had missed about her daughter and grandson these past few weeks. Almost everything... there was one important detail that Remus would not allow himself to reveal. It would be up to Hermione to tell Elizabeth about Samuel's father.  
  
Elizabeth told Remus what she knew of the wizarding world... things that Hermione had told her over the years... and she asked many questions about the magical world that they would be visiting that day. Remus told her about the school and the people that she would meet there that day. Eventually, Elizabeth asked him to tell her about himself.  
  
"Remus... I've known you for a few months now. But, I don't know anything about you, aside from the fact that you were one of Hermione's professors, and now you're back teaching again."  
  
Remus cringed inwardly as he asked, "What do you want to know?" He was not ready for her to find out about his condition, and hoped that he could avoid telling her as long as possible.  
  
"How did you and Hermione become such good friends?"  
  
Remus smiled as he began to tell her about his friendship with Harry's father, and how he had become close to Harry and his friends in the years since he had first taught at Hogwarts. She encouraged him to tell her more about the last few years, when he hadn't been teaching. Eventually, he told her about his part in the war, and about the loss of his last remaining childhood friend, Sirius.  
  
"Sirius Black? The one who's face was plastered all over the muggle news a few years ago?"  
  
"The very one. He was innocent..." he smiled sadly at the thought of his friend's lost years, telling her the basic facts about his wrongful conviction.  
  
"How sad..." Elizabeth nodded, "Hermione has told me so much about her friends, but she never mentioned him. With good reason, I'm sure. She couldn't very well tell her parents that she was friends with an escaped convict, I suppose."  
  
Remus gently steered conversation back to Hermione, and Elizabeth entertained him with some stories about her daughter's childhood.   
  
"When we received her first letter from Hogwarts, we were floored! We had always known that our daughter was... special. There were signs... things we could never explain. We weren't sure what to make of the letter at first, but we let her accept, and it was the best thing we ever could have done for her. She was happier there than she ever was in our world... she never quite fit in with the kids in her primary school."  
  
Remus smiled, "Hermione is very special, indeed. I can't imagine Hogwarts without her!"  
  
When they arrived in Hogsmeade a few hours later, a carriage was waiting for them to carry them to the school. Elizabeth stared in childlike wonder at the village... it looked like something out of a fairy tale. She looked around nervously as Remus assisted her into the carriage. What were those horselike creatures? She gasped and clutched onto Remus' arm as they started to pull away.  
  
"What ARE they?" she asked, her eyes wide as she stared at them in curiosity.  
  
"Thestrals," Remus chuckled, "Oh... you can see them?" he asked in concern.  
  
"Of course I can," she laughed, wondering why he seemed so concerned that she could see the creatures.  
  
"Er... very well," he quickly changed the subject, "It won't be long. Sit back and enjoy the ride!"  
  
As they rode across the snow covered grounds to the school, Remus couldn't help but smile at Elizabeth's delighted reactions to their world. He was almost reluctant to arrive at the school, he was enjoying her company so much. When the castle came into view, Elizabeth gasped. "Oh... Remus... Is that Hogwarts?"  
  
"Indeed!" he smiled.  
  
"Oh!" Elizabeth was at a loss for words. She had never seen anything as magnificent as the castle that was looming in the distance. She was on the edge of her seat with anticipation as they drew closer, and Remus could hardly contain his own excitement at being the one to introduce her to their world. When they pulled up to the front entrance, he exited the carriage first, holding his hand up to assist her down. When her feet were firmly on the ground, she smiled up at him, showing her eagerness to go inside and see her daughter, and meet her grandson for the first time. The ascent up the front steps was slow going, but before she knew it, Elizabeth was stepping foot into the castle. They stopped in the entrance hall to remove their cloaks, and Elizabeth stared around in wonder.  
  
Remus laughed as he steered her towards the Great Hall, "I think you'll be even more excited by what you will see in there!"  
  
"Hermione!" Elizabeth whispered as her eyes misted over at the thought of her daughter. She took Remus' arm and allowed him to walk her to the Great Hall. They paused in the doorway and looked around just as Hermione looked up, her eyes wide in shock. Elizabeth saw her hand the baby over to a tall dark man who was seated beside her, before rushing over to greet them. She held her arms wide to receive her daughter into her embrace, and the tears began to flow as Hermione greeted her.  
  
"Oh, Mum! Can you walk?" Hermione asked her. Elizabeth was choked up and couldn't reply, so she merely nodded her head before she let Remus and Hermione assist her to her seat. A moment later, Hermione brought her son over to meet her. Placing the child into her arms, Hermione said, "Mum, I would like to introduce you to Samuel Remus Granger," Hermione looked down at her son and smiled as she cooed to the child, "Samuel, this is your Grandmum!"  
  
Elizabeth looked down at her grandson... Samuel. She knew that Hermione had named him after her late father, but it didn't truly hit her until that moment. Through her tears, she replied, ""Oh, Hermione! He is beautiful! Your father would be so proud, and honored that his first grandchild is his namesake."  
  
"I wish he were here, Mum," Hermione whispered hoarsely, "I miss him so."  
  
"So do I, dear... so do I," Elizabeth sighed.  
  
*****  
  
From the moment that they stepped in the door, Remus knew that bringing Elizabeth to Hogwarts was the best thing he could have done... not only for Hermione, but for Elizabeth as well. He sat back in his seat at the table, smiling as mother and daughter reunited, and Elizabeth became acquainted with her grandson. He had never seen either of these women look so happy in all the time that he had known them.  
  
He only hoped that he could always help bring joy into their lives. 


End file.
